Play on at muni, despite changes

City-operated golf course opens with new pro, eye on more league play

SCHENECTADY — Despite the dramatic exit of its golf pro and the hiring of another at lower pay, Mayor Gary McCarthy says play at the city's municipal golf course should appear unaltered when the 78-year-old course opens around April 1.

Matthew J. Daley, assistant golf professional at Mohawk Golf Club, will become Schenectady Municipal's new leader. While Daley is taking a $20,000 pay cut compared to the $85,000 salary of former professional Brian Damon, Daley will enjoy profits from the private lessons he gives at the course off Oregon Avenue. The tentative deal calls for Daley to keep $35 of a $45 lesson fee. An assistant professional will also be hired at $12 an hour during the season.

McCarthy said the golf pro's salary was reduced based on what other golf professionals are paid in the area. Damon's salary cut came about two years ago, after the city took away his contractor status with the course. That deal had allowed Damon to reap the profits from cart rentals, the driving range, sales at the pro shop and private lessons, in addition to collecting a $16,000 yearly fee. In exchange, Damon paid for those ventures' expenses. It appeared at most Damon was making about $150,000 a year before the city took the perks away.

But Damon apparently never got over the switch, as he fought with city administrators about how the course was run, and ultimately left a blistering letter to City Council last month upon his departure. McCarthy said he fired Damon; Damon said he resigned.

While McCarthy says fees won't be changing this year, the city is anticipating making an extra $36,000 on greens fees compared with what it made two years ago. The mayor said the course is going to try to attract more league play, but he said profits are still largely determined by how good the weather is.

The city is also projecting moving $236,109 in golf course revenues back into the general fund, the same amount budgeted as in 2012. He said other revenues are kept to invest back into the course, but that the other money "reflects support going back to the golf course," like for the finance office managing the course's money.

In 2011, the city introduced a $3.3 million master plan for the golf course that included, hole by hole, which trees must be removed, which cart paths need to be repaired and which bunkers that should be bolstered. But as the recession continued to loom, the plan was quickly shelved. McCarthy said Sunday that while the city will not be borrowing any money to make good on the master plan, it will try to use money reserved in the golf fund to improve drainage and irrigation.